The Winner Takes It All
by trench-coat-in-the-lake
Summary: Dean, Cas and Sam are captured by some unknown, extremely powerful force, trapping them in separate places. Dean and Cas are forced to be involved in a demon game show, which is torturous and has high stakes and risks. Sam is trapped in an enclosed arena, forced to fight anything thrown at him, which could be sacrifices and decisions. One must die, to save the others.
1. Demon Cafe

Supernatural AU

Dean, Sam, Castiel, Bobby…

Dean sat impatiently on the motel chair, his leg restlessly bouncing up and down in time with the music on the radio, softly singing along in a unique high-pitched tone.

**"****_Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more…"_**

"Dude would you cut it out?" Sam yelled across the room, raising his voice over the music and the tapping, "I'm trying to work." He gracefully plonked himself onto the bed on the far side of the room next to the window, cradling his laptop to his chest and giving Dean an exasperated look.

"Come on! I'm bored!" Dean whined, swinging his legs around the chair and resting his chin on the back of it, exaggerating his mood in such a way he knew Sam couldn't get mad at him for. The puppy eyes seemed to bore their way into Sam's head, as he finally resigned, chucking Dean the keys to the impala and staggering over to the door. His fatigue had set in, as he had been researching a case about a haunting at a local hotel for hours on end, with little success.

"Where are we going?" Dean chirped from behind him, as he caught the keys with one hand in the air. Sam turned around before sighing and saying, "To get to a café with Wi-Fi, this place's sucks."

"Can we get pie?" Dean pleaded, jumping in front of the door so Sam was forced to answer before leaving.  
"Whatever." Sam smiled, and signalled for Dean to get in the car.

Dean grinned, swirling the keys on his finger, before spinning on his heel and opening the door. He actually started to skip towards the car, causing Sam to crack a smile for a second time in several hours.

Before long they had located an old looking café, which to Sam's delight had Wi-Fi, and to Dean's delight had pie available. They sat down on a table in the corner, Dean ordering them both coffee and an "extra-large-slice-of-that-gorgeous-looking-pie-by -the-till" which had caused the waitress to giggle a little while she walked away. He whistled quietly to himself as she headed in the other direction, before slamming his hands on the table and turning to his brother, "Sammy did you _see_ that waitress?! She was… well she was nearly as appetising as the pi-"

"Dean!" Sam interrupted, spinning his laptop to show him the screen.

'**Local Haunting at Hotel causes stirring amongst residents. Mr Jack Avery describes the murders as "horrific" and "violent", and believes it to be an "angry ghost".'**

Dean snorted loudly, causing a lady on a nearby table to turn around and glare before returning to her coffee.

"I'm sorry, but 'angry ghost?' Come on Sam it was funny."

"I don't think he thought it was funny when his wife and his younger daughter were murdered by it," Sam replied grumpily. His coffee remained untouched.

"I'll have that if you won't."

A voice cut through the two of them. Both brothers nearly had a heart attack, as they turned fractionally to find Castiel sat next to them at the table.

"…Cas?" Dean spluttered.

"I have acquired a taste for the liquid. It makes me happy." He frowned slightly, confused as to why Dean looked so shocked.

"Cas, where the _hell _have you been?" Dean almost yelled, managing to refrain himself from crushing the plastic fork clutched in his hand.

"I-"

"Angel radio broken?" Dean asked; his voice thick with sarcasm and fury, "Where the hell were you, when we called, almost every day for the past 3 weeks? We needed help – Sam nearly died and you couldn't give a crap! Not even a small call-in just to get your god-damn angel butt down here and heal him, which would have took 3 seconds out of your 'precious' day. Alright, and you show up now to what… steal our coffee and ask a freakin' favour?" He stood up, pushing his chair over in anger, awaiting a response, but Castiel wasn't looking at him.

The café was eerily silent.

"Don't move." Cas whispered almost inaudibly

For about 3 seconds, the room was completely still, until suddenly Sam cried out in pain. He was being dragged along the floor by one of the waitresses, whose eyes were now black. Dean tried to leap from his chair to help, but found he had 3 possessed people grabbing him from behind, two were customers, and one was the cashier. "Sammy!" He shouted, now blocked from view as the demons advanced on him. He could see flashes of light, assuming Cas was otherwise occupied, and gulped to himself. The demon knife was in the left side of his right sock, tucked neatly into his shoe, but it was unreachable as the cashier had his arms wound painfully behind his back. He could hear Sam yelling for him, but before he could even think he felt himself being thrown into the counter, his back slamming into the marble. Pain radiated through him, and he gasped, winded, unable to breathe. Dean tried to get up but a searing pain in his shoulder slowed him, allowing a possessed secretary to leap on him, straddling him and pinning him to the tiled floor. Everyone in the café was possessed.

"What do we have here?" The secretary teased menacingly, stroking Dean's cheek, "Dean Winchester, and his friends. Fancy a trip back to hell?" She smiled, carving a line into his forehead with her fingernail, letting blood stream into his vision. Dean coughed up blood, and tried to wriggle out of her iron grip, but she just laughed at him.  
"I ain't going downstairs quite yet sweetheart," he replied, and managed to slip the knife into his hands after awkwardly bending his leg. She realised half a second too late.

The blade sank into the back of her thigh, causing a scream to escape her throat and giving Dean the opportunity to shove her off him, before stabbing her in the heart. He had little time to reflect on the woman's death as he was flung across the room by a waiter, his head smashing a photo on the wall and making the room spin uncomfortably. He had barely regained a sense of balance before the waiter had approached him, and shoved him against the wall in a choke-hold. Dean's feet were suspended, but he struggled to breathe beneath the waiter's crushing fingers, and his vision started to cloud, before blackening altogether.

Sam turned around and swung his leg over the demon dragging him, swatting him to the ground and grabbing holy water from his jacket, spraying him with it in the face in a matter of seconds. The demon writhed beneath him, his face expelling smoke.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica..." Sam recited, sending the demon to hell in record time. He looked up, no longer being pursued, to see Dean being held by the throat against the wall and Castiel fighting off at least 8 demons at once. Even though the angel could easily kill a demon, he was being swamped with them, bloodthirsty and unforgiving. As much as he saw Cas needed the help, he charged to Dean's rescue, but was knocked to the floor by a stray couple of demons that sprung from behind an overturned table. They flung him with ease into the menu sign in the corner, which snapped and splintered onto the floor, Sam wearily got to his knees and pulled out his gun, shooting desperately at them, but his shot was off and he was still dizzy from being thrown across the room. The two demons advanced, one spat blood angrily on the tiles; apparently Sam hadn't missed all the shots.

Before he could react, one of them grabbed a gun from behind the counter and aimed it at Sam, who could see it was loaded and ready to fire. He slowly lifted his hands up, but he knew there was no use trying to bargain with a demon. There was a loud bang and Sam cried out in agony, looking down to see blood seeping uncontrollably from his left thigh, already soaked through his jeans.

"You slimy bastard," he grunted through gritted teeth, and just managed to grab an overturned table to shield himself from the oncoming bullets, before he heard the firing. There were lots of shots, and shouts of pain, but there were no holes in the table he was holding. Confused, he shifted the table off him, revealing a figure in the doorway, holding the Colt.

"Idjits."

**{{Thank you for reading the first little bit of that, I know it is short but there is more to come, no fear! I really hope you liked it and any reviews, comments, follows or favourites would make my day :') I will continue this story as often as I can, hopefully the next chapter should be out by next week but it could be sooner/later depending on my motivation :D Thank you again so much for reading it and I really hope you stick with me on this story :) }}**


	2. Lucifer is Out

2. Lucifer is Out

**Right, I will have to explain that in this AU, Gabriel and Balthazar and other characters are not dead, (come on, they're my babies and I still refuse to believe their deaths), but a lot of things from later seasons have still happened. So don't be confused if a character has mysteriously resurrected! Also, I couldn't wait any longer to post the next chapter of this, I wrote it last night and I was up until like 3.30am, so I hope you appreciate it. That is all, thanks :)**

"Bobby?" Sam exclaimed in utter disbelief, discarding the table quickly and accepting Bobby's help to his feet. The majority of demons surrounding Cas, and the two surrounding Dean were dead, but a few were stood defiantly around the angel, unmoving. Bobby turned and aimed at them, releasing the safety catch on his gun and his finger on the trigger.

"Out," He said bluntly, "or would you like to feel the joy that is Mr. Colt's well designed bullets in your stinking meat-suits?" he snarled. For a moment, nothing happened, and the demons remained completely still, but as soon as Bobby's finger twitched on the trigger, the demons burst out of the people, causing them to fall to the floor. Cas stood straighter, nodding at Bobby with gratitude, before brushing off his trench coat. "Where is Dean?" he asked in a desperately low voice. The three men looked at each other as if either of them would know, before turning to see Dean lying in a crumpled heap on the floor, glass shattered around him.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, dropping to his knees to examine his brother. Dean was unconscious, and very pale, lying in a pool of his own blood. Sam's heart almost dropped into his stomach when he couldn't find a pulse, but eventually he found a faint beating in his brother's wrist. Cas stood over him, and gently touched two fingers to Dean's forehead. Almost instantaneously the minor cuts and bruises were erased from his face; however, his eyes didn't open.  
"I…I don't understand…Something is wrong." Cas muttered to himself in a panicked manner, his eyes closed in concentration, or something angel-like, Sam thought. He paced the room, his coat swished with frustration as he muttered very quickly and very quietly under his breath. "I am not well prepared enough to fully heal Dean." He finally said, unsurely.

"What do you mean? Not well prepared enough? You out of angel juice or somethin'?" Bobby asked, taking a step closer to Castiel. "Is something wrong, Cas?" He asked quietly, concern spilling over his face like oil in water.

"I don't know… I don't feel, normally functional. My 'angel juice', as you call it, seems to be on short supply. Something is draining me of my power and I don't know how to stop it." Cas' words tumbled out too fast, and it took a moment for Bobby and Sam to understand.

"Cas," Sam began, standing up, "do you know what, or who, for that matter, it is that is doing this?"

"If I did I would not be stood here, I would be in pursuit. So no, don't ask stupid questions." He replied, agitated. Sam turned in frustration and kicked a chair leg into the wall on the opposite side of the room.  
"What do we do?" Bobby asked calmly, looking at Cas for guidance, but the angel was not returning his gaze. Sam knelt back down, trying to get Dean to gain consciousness, but he stayed silent and still. Sam felt shards of glass slicing through his already blood soaked jeans, and winced, but not discreetly enough for him to avoid Bobby's attention.

"Boy? You're joking right. Oh for the love of-" Bobby swept a clear space of floor and ordered Sam to show the damage done, to which he was forced to reveal his wounded leg. "Well shit," Was all Bobby had to say.

"I am sorry Sam. I don't think I can heal you either." Cas began, "I can't even leave this place. Not without a vehicle."  
"You mean you can't zap into angel space anymore?" Sam questioned.  
"Exactly."

"Freaking fantastic."

"I do not thin-"

"It was sarcasm, Cas."

"Oh."

After an hour, Dean had finally regained consciousness and Bobby had help clean Sam and Dean's other wounds, leaving the gunshot wound till last. "Now this is gonna hurt, but I am sure you know that already." Bobby explained, crouching down so he was level with Sam, who was lying on the floor. Even lying down he was tall. After several minutes of yelps of pain, and sharp intakes of breath on Bobby's part, all that remained was a bloody bullet on the counter, and Sam's leg all strapped up. Dean insisted he felt fine, so they promptly left the café hoping they would go unnoticed.

When they got back to the motel room, Sam collapsed onto the bed by the window, groaning. Bobby found a comfortable seat on a chair in the corner, Dean slumped on the other bed and Cas paced the room. The room itself was so tense, the deep red walls seemed to mimic the exact colour of blood, and the windows were awfully stiff and barely opened a centimetre, allowing no air in whatsoever. There was a half wall cutting through the 2 main rooms that was more like a barrier for toddlers, and the cupboards in the makeshift bathroom were eerily spotless. The whole room just felt wrong.

"What's the plan?" Dean asked, for the 6th time, still getting no response from anyone, apart from Sam's annoyed replies;

"Dean, for the last time we don't know. We don't know what's even going on… You could at least try and be helpful," Dean would have been insulted, but seeing as he was used to being told this by his younger sibling, he just let him shout at him a little longer before trying to hit the fly in the corner with a flattened beer can. They really were starved of entertainment.

"May I try something?" requested Castiel, looking down at Sam. Without waiting for consent, he placed his hand across Sam's forehead and Sam's injuries were wiped clean in a second. Cas looked confused, but continued to heal Dean as well.

"Dude what the hell?" Dean called curiously as the angel turned his back on him, after healing his cuts from the glass.

"I…-the demons, I think they are affecting me," Cas explained cautiously, " and before, when you said I never came when you called…it was not the fact I ignored you, I never even heard you."

"What, you mean you couldn't hear us at _all?_ We tried day after day…" Sam asked from across the room.

"I heard nothing. In fact, I haven't heard anything from Gabriel or Balthazar in the last month. They were supposed to find me days ago, to bring me news on Lucifer's situation." Cas explained hurriedly. He pushed his hair back through his fingers and sat down on the bed, his head resting on his fists.

"The 'Lucifer situation?'" Bobby growled from his chair, tightening his baseball cap self-consciously.

"We have been led to believe Lucifer has gotten out of the cage." Castiel wiped his forehead and returned his focus to his fingernails.

"Out- Lucifer is OUT?!" Sam roared, stumbling to his feet and having to grip the lamp to keep him steady. Images from hell flashed before his eyes, and he felt his stomach tighten and twist in fear. He gripped the lamp so hard he felt the metal begin to bend; he started to calm himself down. All eyes were on Sam, and Dean looked worriedly from Bobby to Sam, clearly worried.

"You alright, son?" Bobby asked softly, his usual tone lowered slightly. "You seem…a bit 'off.'"

"Fine," Sam replied, gasping for breath, "I'm fine. I just don't have particularly fond memories of the guy." He lowered himself back onto the bed, embarrassed.

Bobby turned swiftly to Castiel. "How did he get out?"

"We don't know. There have been rumours of a myth," Cas said slowly. Everyone waited expectantly. "a myth that states that if all the demons in hell came together, sacrificing themselves to an eternal damnation in Hell, then Lucifer could rise again."

"I thought they were already damned in Hell?" Dean quizzed.

"Well, many can escape hell and possess people, quite easily. This means that they literally could not escape hell, even if they had consent from Lucifer himself. They are no longer the torturers in hell, they become the tortured." Cas explained impatiently.

Everyone fell into silence, thinking, and taking in what they just heard.

"So almost all demons are so cruel they would happily suffer endlessly if it resulted in more human suffering." Bobby concluded, "And the unwilling? What happens to them?"  
"Have you not noticed the increasing numbers of demons appearing, everywhere you have a case?" Castiel murmured. Almost everyone in that café had been possessed, they knew that much, Sam thought to himself. So, surely, if they wanted to free Lucifer so bad, they would let the demons unwilling to 'participate' leave Hell. Of course. The unwilling demons weren't in Hell.

They are on Earth. And many of them probably wanted Lucifer out, but weren't going to give up their free will for it. So they won either way. Lucifer escapes, more demons than ever can cause havoc here, and there's guaranteed suffering. Everyone else must have been on the same thought processes as Sam, as Bobby and Dean sat in a horrified silence. He heard Bobby whisper "Balls!" under his breath.

"What did you mean, when you said the demons are affecting you?" Sam finally broke the silence, looking at Cas. Cas shook his head, his forehead crinkled in visible lines, and he slumped, defeated on the bed. Sam felt sorry for the guy, he'd looked so happy this morning, and it had been weeks since he last spoke with us, it was probably a relief to get away from all the 'angel business.'

"I believe that, from observation, whenever I am near a demon, which is becoming more and more frequent now, I am compromised." He announced unhappily, scowling at the grey carpet. Why? Dean questioned himself, why would Cas suddenly be out of angel juice whenever a demon was close?

"I think it is because of the myth," Cas answered for him, "it says there must be power involved, taken from the enemy. Which in this case just happens to be angels."

The room shook.

Everyone looked at each other, desperate for some kind of reassurance. "I can't leave!" Castiel shouted over the rumbling.

"You were thinking of leaving?!" Sam spluttered back, spitting out bits of dust that crumbled from the ceiling.

"No! It was an experiment. There must be demo-" he replied, but was interrupted by the motel door swinging open. A silhouette stood out from the illuminated hallway, and appeared to be holding some kind of cans. Dean squinted.

Gas canisters.

He tried to warn the others, but the canisters were thrown into the room, releasing a cloudy substance, and Dean couldn't shout over his own coughing. The room slowly went out of focus, and the four of them were sprawled on the beds and floor within seconds. The last thing Dean saw was Bobby swearing as his legs gave way beneath him, and Cas desperately trying to pursue the silhouette, which was long gone. Eventually, Cas too fell to the floor.


	3. Separation

**3. Separation**

Sam awoke, his eyes blearily scanning his surroundings, widening at the sheer change of scenery. He was in a forest. He glanced around, expecting to find Dean next to him, but there was nobody as far as he could see. "Dean!? Cas?" He called desperately, "Bobby! Anyone?" He raised his voice, but all he could hear besides the rustling of trees and the whisper of the forest, was his own voice. He was alone.

Dean's eyes snapped open to the sound of applause and the roar of a crowd. He was dreaming? He sat up, dazed, his head hurt…the gas. Where the hell…this dream was very real to him. He turned, to see Cas sat next to him looking as confused as himself, before taking in where exactly they were.

"Dean?" Sam had one last try at calling for help, before cursing himself for his stupidity. Who knows what is in here with him, and who knows if anyone, or anything, is watching him right now. He walked hopelessly through the forest, but it just seemed to go on and on, until he saw something hanging in the trees just ahead of him. It was practical, he thought to himself, and someone must want him to have it. It wasn't left there on purpose anyway. After a couple of minutes checking the area for dangers or traps, Sam just looked up at it and smiled: finally, one good thing out of today.

They appeared to be on a stage of some sort, it was hard to tell with the huge spotlights that practically pinned them to the floor with the mere intensity. "So, Dean, Cas. I bet you're wondering what you're doing here! Am I right folks?" A booming voice from behind them asked, to which an ear-splitting applause replied. 'Yeah that would be freaking super,' Dean thought to himself, before getting to his feet and brushing himself off. Cas copied him. "A pair like you two, in an interview like this? Well, I think we can all say you might have lowered you standards. Or, maybe we just got some luck!" The voice boomed again, followed by a rumble of approval and chuckling from the people sat in the seats. Dean squinted. The seats were empty.

Sam scaled the tree, before swinging himself round and retrieving the rucksack from the low hanging branch. He didn't open it until he was back on the forest floor, in case he had to run or abandon the bag. His feet jolted a little from the jump down, it had been a little higher than what he usually was used to, so any kind of metal security fence. He sat down in the leaves, careful to keep off the main track that he woke up on, but he could still easily catch sight of where it was, and could find his way back through this foreign forest. The rucksack was quite small, and brown, Sam might have missed it if it hadn't been for the orange bands wrapped around the middle, that seemed to have some kind of reflective material wound across it. He opened the bag, and his face instantly fell.

They can't be empty. Dean nudged Cas, so that he could see too, but the angel was too busy looking towards the voice. The room itself was very dark, excluding the spotlights which practically burned through your eyes, but as far as Dean could tell, there was nobody else in the room. The voice seemed to be coming from a speaker concealed in the corner, and as they approached it, it went silent. The room was tense, as if the 'audience' were holding their breath, and Dean turned to Cas worriedly. "Cas-" He whispered, but Cas silenced him with a look, for once in his life, the angel looked genuinely nervous. Then the spotlights sparked, and died, flooding the eerily silent room with darkness.

The bag was not empty. In fact, nothing in there was particularly dangerous. There was some food, and water, and even a gun. But everything was off. The food, gone off and mouldy in the bag. The water was cloudy, with unknown bits floating around in it that made Sam's stomach twist uncomfortably. The gun, however, looked in perfect condition, the lack of bullets meant Sam's hope faded almost instantaneously. Whoever did this must have a sick sense of humour, he thought to himself, before pocketing the gun and burying the food and water. He thought twice about throwing away the remainders, but slung the bag over his back, and (after emptying it) threw the bottle in after. There was a slight 'clink' when the bottle landed, which drew Sam to a halt. He launched the back onto the floor in front of him and pulled the lining inside out, making sure he didn't miss anything, and a small gold-coloured object slipped out onto the leaves. He carefully reached down and picked it up curiously. It took him moment, but the carved horns, swirls and face were only on one thing he had seen before; Dean's amulet.

Cas felt Dean grab his coat sleeve, so they didn't get separated in the darkness, and he tried to make out any exit or light source at all, but there was nothing. They couldn't see their hands inches in front of their faces; it was useless. Suddenly, Cas felt the soft tugging on his sleeve jolt, before disappearing entirely. He whipped around, reaching out his arms expecting to collide with Dean, but instead his arm swung wildly through the empty space. Confusion swept over him, before he heard a muffled yelp from across the room, and he took off towards the voice. He didn't get very far, before strong, fierce hands grabbed him from the dark, and pulled him down, restraining him. There must have been at least 10 pairs of hands grabbing viciously at Castiel, and he thought to himself a strange, but logical thought; _They are afraid I will overpower their game. _"Dean!" he called out hopelessly, but a hand gripping his throat silenced him, pushing him up and forcing him onto his knees. His arms were tied painfully behind his back, and he left his legs being bound together with thin bands of plastic. Incredibly tough to escape from. Cas felt his abilities failing, and he knew he couldn't get out of there even if he wanted to; something is using his powers to do something, but what? Maybe it isn't just him. He thought to himself, maybe there are more angels being captured... he disliked the word. Contained. That was marginally better, he supposed, maybe he wasn't the lone angel in wherever-the-hell-they-were. But why would they bring Dean too? What was he for? He couldn't feel responsible for more of Dean's fate, but he felt it was his fault for drawing the demons to them in the first place. Sighing, he allowed the hands to drag him away. He closed his eyes.

Sam trekked through the forest, the amulet clutched in his fist possessively, and he started to feel the effects of exhaustion and fatigue set in. His head pounded with each step, his vision blurring if he walked too fast or stood up too quickly after a rest. His throat felt uncomfortable and tight, and he longed for a stream or river to cross his path, but he was out of luck. He must have walked miles, but he couldn't stop; he knew whoever had Dean was playing with them, and was dangerous. _What if he is already dead? _Sam thought to himself anxiously, but corrected himself. No. Dean couldn't be dead. They had no reason to kill him, and, even though it was a grim thought, they would have nobody to use as bait if they killed him. Bobby was another option, he supposed, but he hadn't seen him or really heard from him since they were gassed. He hoped he would be alright… Maybe he was with Dean, he knew it was unlikely, but it was the best he could come up with without frightening himself. He just had to figure out where the hell he was. _Shouldn't you figure out where Dean is first? _A small voice sneered happily, from inside his head. Sam froze mid-step.

"No!" Sam whispered to himself, "Not you." His breathing quickened, as the figure was confirmed in his brain, the man was to be feared.

The figure stepped out from the tree next to him, grinning widely, a nasty smirk on his face.

"Lucy's home, Sammy!"

* * *

**AN: Short. I know. But I promise there will be more to come fairly soon. Major heatwave is slowing my thought processes I guess. **

**Thanks if you're keeping with me on this story, it really does make my day! I am going on holiday soon, so I do apologise in advance if there is a lack of posting new chapters over that period, so to make up for it I will try and make a few longer chapters. I am not abandoning this! **

**Also, this fic will be a friendship fic, so if anyone expected a Destiel fic, then I apologise. (Don't let that give you the impression I don't ship them both because they are like my otp but)**

**Please review, it does make me a lot more motivated to write, and it helps keep me going – I have no idea if anyone even reads these…:)**


	4. Instability

**{{I don't own them, never have, I wish I did. }} **

**4. Instability**

The voice had dipped beneath Sam's consciousness weeks ago, why the hell had it reappeared? And why now? God, he thought to himself, the timing is awfully convenient. Lucifer. He was currently singing 'Come on Eileen' in a tree a few metres ahead of Sam, and the backing track appeared to be playing from somewhere as well, which infuriated Sam more. What was worse, Lucifer seemed to have replaced every "Eileen" with "Sammy" instead.

_"Come on Sammy, too-rye-aye…"_ Lucifer howled from a low hanging branch_, "Come on, Sammy, too-rye-aye-NOW YOU'RE FULL GROWN!"_ his voice heightened, growing louder with every syllable. Sam desperately put his hands over his ears, but he couldn't do anything to block out the screeching in the distance; _"NOW YOU HAVE SHOWN, Oh, Sammy!"_

Lucifer abruptly stopped singing, Sam glanced up as to why, only to find Lucifer had fell out of the tree in a fit of hysterics, before continuing to sing "_Say, come on Sammy, these things they are real, and I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL!"_

Sam already felt sick and had a headache. And with dehydration setting in already, accompanied by exhaustion, he slumped against a tree for the night. Somehow, though, he didn't think he would be getting much sleep that night. Lucifer burst back into song; and Sam gave an exasperated sigh to the night.

Dean squinted, his eyes not yet accustomed to the burning stage lights that were illuminated above his head. Castiel was sat opposite him behind a glass wall, and they were in a different room from before. He tried to scratch his cheek, but found his hands were bound with plastic, and he had been stripped of weapons; he felt exposed. His thick jacket was gone, and he sat in a plain black t-shirt and his jeans. Cas was also distressed, his trench coat missing, along with his angel blade and whatever else he kept in there. Dean could see how uncomfortable he looked, and would have pitied him had he not been in a similar situation. Behind Cas, he saw 2 people… demons. He grimaced, turning around to see 2 more, and assumingly there were more in the shadows that weren't lit up by the stage lights. Great. He couldn't see any easy way out of this.

Sleep was definitely not on for Sam, his eyes were drooping but every time they closed, Lucifer would shout in his ear or appear in his mind, in his dreams. Occasionally Sam would open his eyes, and Lucifer would not be in sight. Only until he felt secure enough to fall asleep would he make a re-appearance, making it impossible for him to rest at all. After about 3 hours of this, Sam fell asleep after shoving moss in his ears and doing his best to put up a mental wall against Lucifer in his head, allowing him 4 hours of rest before he was awoken to a loud round of new songs from Lucifer, who was perched in the tree he lay against. 4 hours was better than nothing, he thought, before arranging his pack on his shoulders. Ignoring Lucifer's morning calls, he set off immediately, pushing through the tiredness and the dehydration; he had a motivation to find civilisation, or anything different from the trees for that matter. It looked early morning, just before sunrise, he would have guessed, so he pushed on, getting ahead of the light and getting a good head start on whatever else slept in the forest at night.

"I never expected we would succeed in this plan," a 30-year-old looking man spoke from behind Dean's right shoulder, his voice rough and unpleasant. Possessed, of course, but his eyes looked slightly strained, as if you could see the man trapped inside calling for help. That only showed for a fraction of a second, before they flipped back to a cold, controlling stare that seemed to push Dean further into his seat.

"Well, lucky you, succeeding and all," Dean replied loudly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He saw Cas' face go blank in a small, barely noticeable panic, after Dean's mistake. However, to Dean's favour the Demon chose to ignore his remark, and continued in a bored tone.

"Yes, _luckily _for us, we did. So, who would have guessed the legends really were true? We have Marcus here to thank for that," he gestured towards a tall, muscular man, who stepped out from the shadows, his posture intimidating and powerful. Dean refused to look nervous, but still had a wave of confusion going through his head from the 'legend' the man mentioned. The demon noticed his confusion, and explained, "the legend suggests that Angels are powerless in the presence of a specific number of demons carrying salt that has been burnt in holy oil." He smiled, gesturing again to a small cluster of demons that surrounded the perimeter of the room. Inside his head, Dean's brain was whirring with ideas, plans and smart phrases, but he remained nonchalant, a blank expression on his face. Cas looked distressed, he was desperately trying to think of how to get rid of the demons, but he was stripped of weapons, both physical and mental, and he felt half-defeated already.

"So," the man began, interrupting Cas' trail of thought, "we want you to participate in…a series of challenges."

"No." Castiel replied bluntly.

"Oh sorry, should I re-phrase that for you, 'angel of the lord?'" He sneered, "You _will _participate in these challenges, whether you like it or not." He flashed a daunting smile, before leaving the room, and once again, Cas and Dean were blindfolded and led through passages into separate rooms, Castiel accompanied by several demons, Dean presumed.

"So, Sammy, where are we heading off to today?" Lucifer called from a few metres back, "Oh you aren't going to ignore me are you? I missed you! You could at least show me some respect." Sam continued to block out Lucifer, until he was thrown off his feet into a nearby pine tree, the branches snapping at the sudden force. His back prickled with pain, it felt like it was on fire, he lay at its roots, dazed, as he watched Lucifer walk casually over to him and stand over him with a cruel grin on his face. "We aren't playing anymore Sammy-"

"Don't call me that," Sam interrupted, it only reminded him of Dean, who he hadn't seen for a long time.

"What did we establish about respect, _Sammy?_" he spat in a harsh whisper, before continuing in a hard tone. "I'm not just in your head, see, not always," he explained to him, watching Sam disguise the horror that was building up in his throat.

"What do you mean?" Sam croaked, clearing his throat anxiously.

"You know what I mean. Sometimes I am real. Sometimes I am elsewhere. But let me get this straight, I am always, in here." He tapped Sam's temple softly, with another menacing smile that chilled Sam's blood in seconds. "'Cause you see that," he was crouched in front of Sam now, just inches from his face, he was pointing to the small pool of blood that was dripping from the gash in Sam's arm. "That is real." Lucifer straightened up, brushing off his jeans, before sarcastically offering Sam a hand up, which to his disappointment he ignored, and used the tree as support. Sam could feel himself getting less and less sane; the combined blood loss, shock of Lucifer, exhaustion and lack of water was all coming crashing down on him at once and he felt the immense urge to sit down and just sleep, but he fought it and staggered through the trees, barely keeping his balance. Lucifer joyfully skipped along next to him, only making the journey less bearable.

The pack was weighing him down massively, and he had nothing to try and stop the bleeding in his arm except his clothes, but he knew he would suffer from the cold if he used it, so he kept his arm clutched protectively to his chest. He must have been walking for an hour, before he stopped in his tracks – the sea? It couldn't be. Where the hell was he? It seemed impossible, but the water that had suddenly appeared in front of him seemed endless. He approached it cautiously, before dipping a finger in the water and tasting it. It wasn't salt water.

He whooped inside his head, slinging off his bag with more enthusiasm than he believed he was capable of having, he was so weak. He greedily gulped up the water in his hands, before filling up the bottle in his pack, and drinking from that. He tried to take small sips but it felt so good running down his throat that he just drained the bottle countless times before finally slowing, breathlessly. He must have had at least 3 litres worth of water, he felt refreshed already, even with the lack of sleep. He felt paranoid that if he ever left this place, he would be unable to find it, so he meandered along the water's edge, keeping a look out for any movement within the trees.

Dean was led into a new room after being shoved through a labyrinth of passageways, he had tried remembering which ways they had turned but they had taken such a long and twisting path that it seemed impossible after 5 minutes of walking. He was pushed through a narrow doorway, and he heard a door click shut. He felt alone. The blindfold dug into his skull and his head pounded with anticipation and pain, a constant headache to bring him to reality.

There were binds on his limbs, but it didn't stop him wriggling to where the door was, when he found a handle, he sighed in relief. He knew it was locked, but he used the edge to dig under the blindfold and rip it off his face, partially blinding him with the light of the room. His eyes gradually adjusted to the room, and to his disappointment, it was just a concrete room. There was no furniture except a stone ledge that was attached to the wall, and the room felt colder now he could see the lack of windows and space. It was only small; Dean could probably touch one edge with either arm if he could stand with them outstretched. He saw that the binds on his wrists were weakened by the struggle earlier, and after much patience, they fell to the floor after being hooked on the door handle whilst Dean pulled against it. Once his hands were free, he managed to undo the clasp on his legs with difficulty, but he managed it all the same. He picked up the plastic from the binds, and the material from the blindfold, shoving that in his pocket whilst he picked the lock with the sharp plastic. It must have taken him at least 5 minutes, but the door clicked, and Dean carefully placed his ear to the door, listening for any movement outside it.

The water was so clear, but completely silent, which was probably where Sam was going wrong, as he listened for the sound of running water. He had been sat on a rock by the enormous lake for at least a couple of hours, and Lucifer was nowhere in sight, but he wasn't going to be naïve and believe he had gotten rid of him for good, because he knew he was only leaving him alone because he wasn't doing anything. He thought about Dean, and Cas, and sighed sadly, wondering if they were in the same position as he was. Maybe they were in the forest too. He could hardly go around calling their names in fear of finding something else, but he could look… He saw a tall tree not 50 yards from where he sat, that would probably overlook the whole forest, but there was no way he could climb it, so thoughts or looking from it disappeared almost as quickly as they came. He felt as though he was being watched, even though it was clear that there was nobody anywhere near him that he could see, but his thoughts took over and he soon began to feel paranoid that something was in the dark shady parts of the forest, in which he couldn't see properly. He squinted for a second, focusing on a small bush, and saw a shudder. He immediately jumped to his feet, ignoring the background headache that jumped with him, and crouched behind the rock, anticipating the next movement. He watched silently for about 5 minutes, his tall build aching as he had to fold into a small, awkward position so he was gone from view. The bush shook violently, and a figure stepped out. Sam inhaled sharply, with a grin on his face; Cas.

Voices echoed through the door, and Dean figured there must be at least two guards outside his door, but he took his chances and kicked the door open with his foot, running out over it. He tripped on something soft, and looked down to see he had stood on a body. He scanned the hallway, which was dark, and made of stone; almost historical-looking with flaming torches lined against the wall every few metres. The hallway was littered with bodies of the demons, but none were moving. Dean checked each body, finding a gun and several bullets, but other than that, they seemed to be obstacles. He loaded the gun, and chose the path going left, walking as quietly as he could on the floor, but he could hear more voices echoing against the walls, and the noise confused him as to where they originated. He slowly checked the next corner, but flattened out against the wall immediately when he saw 2 demons heading his way. He held his breath as they approached, and when they turned the corner he knocked one out with his gun, shooting the other with a grimace. As he had thought, the sound of the bullet ricocheted off and he winced at the noise. He didn't focus on his mistake for too long, as he was attacked from behind; the 'knocked-out' demon had got to her feet, her hair whipping the air in anger. He reached into his pocket in one smooth movement and felt the material in his hand. He took a swinging punch and felt it connect with her jaw, sending her falling to the floor. He wrapped the material around her neck without hesitation and wound it tightly until she went limp. He whispered an apology to the girl who had been possessed, before removing the fabric and pocketing it once more, in case he had to use it again. He picked up his gun and turned the corner, only to swear loudly as he saw a big group of demons running at him through the corridor.

Sam saw Cas stumble out of the bush, blood dripping down his face. He staggered for a second, before collapsing on the floor and laying still. Sam immediately rushed over to him, shaking him conscious, but as he turned Cas' face towards his, his head rolled off his body, disintegrating in Sam's hands. In horror, he jumped back, as he watched the rest of Cas' body melt into the rocks, and he heard a wheezing laugh erupt from behind him. He span around to reveal Lucifer sat on his rock, laughing.  
"I can't believe I got you that easy, oh Sam, this will be fun."

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**Okay thanks for reading again, please review and let me know how I am doing! This one is longer, but for the next week I won't be able to post anything new, so apologies for that. It has been a little later than usual but it was longer! **

**I will be updating this before I leave for 3 weeks (I will make it up to you!) so please stick with me :)**

**Thanks, hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Familiar Faces

**5. Familiar Faces**

Dean raised his gun, firing at the approaching demons, taking down three before running out of bullets; leaving four getting dangerously close. Dean swore again, and braced himself as the first demon charged into him, sending him smashing into the stone flags beneath him, knocking him out cold.

Sam sat on his rock, with his hands burying his face, trying his absolute best to evade Lucifer's attempts to send him over the edge. He had sat there for at least 2 hours since 'Cas' had emerged from the trees, and after a further 10 minutes of mentally preparing himself, Sam stood up and strode into the forest with his bag swung over his shoulders. He soon came across a rock edge, which seemed to go on for several hundred metres, and curve off into the sea behind him. Struggling to find an alternative route, he followed the rock edge, using it as a support and looking for cracks and holes in the rock which would be useful for climbing. After a few minutes walking however, Sam faced an entirely new challenge, as it was not Lucifer that ended up facing him from a shadowy area of the forest, but a girl. She stumbled out from behind a tree, her arms raised in surrender above her head. Her mud-smeared face presented bruises and cuts, which Sam presumed she picked up in the forest, and she looked weary and weak. Sam stepped back cautiously, knowing from experience this could be Lucifer's sick sense of humour, automatically distrusting the girl.

"Sam Winchester?" she croaked, squinting from the sunlight streaming through the trees, which was partially blinding both of them. Sam backed into the smooth rock face, the sun-baked stone radiating heat across the width of his shoulders. He stared at the young girl, before slowly recognising her face.

"Sam it's me. Jo."

Dean found himself sitting in a surprisingly comfortable chair, in complete darkness. He felt some kind of restraining belt across his lap and shoulders, binding him to the chair, and he could feel a slippery tiled floor beneath his feet. Lights beamed down instantaneously, seconds after he woke, and he squinted to see he was in front of a real crowd. A cheery voice echoed through the room behind, him, and as he strained his neck turning around he saw a large man in a glittery suit bouncing about the floor.

"Dean Winchester! It's a pleasure." He smiled warmly, even though Dean was giving him a confused glare, to which the audience laughed at. "What's with the face?" He laughed, urging another chuckle from the crowd, and taking a seat beside Dean.

"So," the man began, his eyes turning black as he faced Dean, the warm smile already fading to a menacing grin, "you can call me Alastair."

"Jo?" Sam whispered, still pressed against the rock, unsure of whether to trust her or not. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know. I was in the bar with my Mom, and Ash, and there were a big group of people outside making a hell of a lot of noise. So we went outside to see what was going on, and they just turned on us, there were demons everywhere." She swallowed hard, brushing away a tear threatening to spill, "we were ambushed, they took her… they took Ellen, Sam!" She cried; her voice catching and tears streaming down her face. "They killed Ash on the spot, and I didn't see what happened to anyone else. One of them must have hit me from behind because all I remember now was wakin' up here with a knife holding this to a tree nearby." She held up a bloody knife and a dirty piece of paper, which she placed on the floor for Sam to see, as he still refused to come near her. Sam read it quickly, swallowing the rising hysteria in his throat, and looked up at Jo sadly.

The audience fell silent as Alastair introduced himself, and continued to talk to Dean as if they were friends. Dean didn't speak a word until Alastair begun to question him.

"So, Dean. How well do you think you did out there, just now?" he smiled, the black eyes boring into Dean's.

"What do you _mea_- you mean that was a test?" Dean spluttered, continuing. "You sick bastard."

Alastair chuckled with the audience, as if Dean had said something other than an insult, and carried on talking. "Would you say it was a… reasonably performance? Average maybe? You managed to get out of your cell in record time, faster than Castiel manag-"  
"Cas?" Dean interrupted, his heart booming against his chest in fear. If they had hurt him... Why wasn't he here with them? "Where is he, what have you done with him?" Dean yelled furiously, pressing against the belts holding him in place with frustration.  
"I can assure you, he will be on his way." Alastair replied with a throaty laugh, giving the audience a knowing look, before glancing up to a huge screen behind Dean, which lit up showing a picture that caused Dean to clench the sides of his chair desperately hard in his fists.

'If you want to see your mother again, I suggest you find her before they do. – L'

"Who are they?" Sam asked nervously, continuing to edge away from Jo.

"I don't know. Why are you moving away from me? Sam?" Jo looked mightily offended, her eyes glazed with tears. She looked a complete mess, and Sam wouldn't have been surprised if she had collapsed on the spot. She looked terribly weak, her once-clear skin coated with grime, blood and dirt. Her fingernails were chipped and dirty, and her hair was messily plaited down one shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Sam started, unsure of what to say.

"You don't trust me. Are you freaking serious?" She yelled at the sky, her hands clenching weakly, the action caused her to stumble off balance, leaning against a tree to keep herself steady. "I've been here for days. I'm starving, I'm exhausted, and I find one person who I actually recognise and you don't trust me? Freaking super."

"I have no way of knowing if you're really you, Jo." Sam replied honestly, guilt running through his head. "I've been here for days too, and I have already been tricked once." He explained in a gruff voice, running his hands through his ever-growing hair. He let it drop limply behind his ear.

"I don't have any holy water, or anything silver." She said simply, sighing before steadying herself beside the tree. She tugged on her plait, before securing the knife in her back pocket and folding the note into her jacket.  
"What are you doing?" Sam queried, studying her movements. "Are you leaving?"

"There's nothing for me here Sam. I have to find her. And I don't have the time to prove myself to you." She sighed, her voice tired and stressed.

"Just…I have to find people too. I need to get to Dean and-" Sam began.

"Dean is missing too?" She asked, staring Sam down.  
"And Cas." He told her.

Cas was on the screen, you could see the pain in his face as he staggered through an identical hallway that Dean had gone through, a broken piece of glass clutched in his hand. He barely seemed the notice the blood dripping from the opposite edge digging into his palm. Dean watched helplessly, the chair locking him in place as he tried to fight his way out, but he knew it was useless. He watched as Cas fought his way through 3 demons, before being attacked by over 10. At one point you could no longer see Castiel at all, only the demon's greedy hands grabbing at his bare skin, bruising and hurting. This went on for at least a couple of minutes before there was a barely audible high pitched siren, which caused the demons to leave Castiel. He was on the tiles, in a small pool of his own blood. Dean called his name until he went hoarse, knowing it was useless and he couldn't hear him. He was forced to watch until Cas woke, blearily holding his wounds, and making his way towards a door that was just visible on the screen. As he approached it, it opened, at the same time as one on stage opened. Dean realised before the audience it was the same door, and watched as Castiel made his way into the spotlight.

"This is big, Sam." Jo said in a small voice, "it isn't just us, there have been hunters reported missing for weeks now, haven't you noticed?"  
Sam shamefully admitted that he hadn't, and that they had been busy with a lot of cases, especially because of the massive outbreak of demons. He told her about Castiel's theory of Lucifer getting out the box, and to her horror she grabbed at the letter in her jacket and opened it hurriedly.

"You mean to say that this was from Lucifer?" She whispered brokenly, her eyes filled with fear and anticipation.

"I… I mean I'm not sure but...well i-it would make sense." He said finally, giving her a sympathetic look.  
"Of course it makes sense Sammy," a voice whispered from directly behind Sam's head, and he took a blow from the rock face to his skull as he hurried to turn around and swipe the person behind him, yelling out. But of course, there was nothing there except the rock face, now stained with a small spot of Sam's blood from his head. He frowned in pain, touching his bashed head, trying to locate the damage. He found a small lump forming, along with a scrape and a small cut which was already beginning to form a scab, and he looked up to see Jo staring at him with such a worried, yet confused, look on her face.  
"Sam, what the hell?" she looked at him expectantly, and folded her arms.

"Dean?" Castiel squinted against the lights, his gruff voice a lot quieter than usual. "Dean what's happening?" he looked lost, and Dean felt responsible for him, he just stood there awkwardly, blood running down his arms. He earned a murmur from the audience, before an uproar of laughter flooded the room. Dean could do nothing but shake his head, biting his lip anxiously as he looked back at Alastair.  
"Castiel! So nice of you to finally join us." Alastair grinned widely, extending his arm and presenting Cas' weak vessel to the audience, receiving an ear-splitting applause and cat-calls.

"Don't you touch him," Dean growled, as Alastair edged closer to Cas, who looked as though he was just about to collapse anyway. Cas felt dizzy from the wounds he had been inflicted in the corridor, weak from passing out several minutes ago, and dazed from the bright lights and loud noises that surrounded him. He glanced at Dean who had red marks from his restraints, and had even broken the skin in certain places from pressing against them too hard. He shot him a concerned look before lowering himself the ground with little grace, and breathed deeply on all fours, shaking.

"Help him! Somebody please!" Dean yelled, sweat clinging to his face and clothes now, but Alastair just chuckled, and raised a hand signalling 4 demons to enter. They walked over calmly and together they lifted Castiel and placed him in a chair to Dean's left, which, to Dean's relief, was furthest away from Alastair's. Cas was as white as a sheet, and Dean tried to give him a comforting glance.

"I'm, weaker…weaker than I, thought. Dean," Cas whispered between breaths, gasping for air and leaning back in his chair, allowing the demons to secure him in place. Dean noticed his bonds were a lot less thorough than his own, and worried to himself as Alastair began to speak.

Jo still stood there, waiting for Sam's explanation, and Sam stood running his fingers through his hair hurriedly. "Well, the thing is…" he began, but he had no idea where to start without Jo thinking he was a complete nut-case. "Tell me, Sam. What is it?" She asked kindly, her tone more gentle than before.

"I…I don't know how to explain it. It's-it's like Lucifer, well he is in my head." He started again, his voice blunt, "and I see him, I can't help it! He talks to me and nobody else can hear him, except me. Hell, you must think I'm mad…Just, trust me on this. Please?" Jo looked confused, but as Sam's words began to sink in, her facial expressions took on concern, worry, and shock.

"Y-you mean that he is here right now?" she asked nervously, subtly shifting her gaze off Sam and around the trees enclosing them.

"No, not exactly, no. He… he said something- in my head. It's me, I am going insane, God…" Sam trailed off, panicking slightly at the reality of what was going on. He was going crazy, finally cracked it. He was hearing voices, seeing Lucifer, seeing Cas in the woods. Maybe Jo was just a hallucination too. He shook his head, mainly for his own sake, and rid those thoughts from his head. Jo gave the tiniest, sad smile, "Let's start looking for our friends, Sam."  
Hesitantly, Sam followed Jo further into the trees, keeping close to the rock wall on his right hand side, his hand always in contact with the smooth, chalky surface.

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**Once again thanks to everyone that read this, I hope you are enjoying it so far and I will try to update it next week before I go on holiday. :)**

**Please review, follow or favourite my story**

**I really do love to hear your opinions and anything you have to say is welcomed as long as it isn't too nasty!**


	6. Rulebook

**6. Rulebook **

They had been walking for hours, Jo and Sam, and Sam's hand was raw from scraping it along the rock wall. Apparently it went on for a lot longer than a few hundred metres, and from where they were standing, it didn't seem to end any time soon either. Neither of them had exchanged a word since Sam had told her about Lucifer inside his head, and Sam was beginning to worry that Jo was going to scrutinize him for it, or ditch him when she could, but those thoughts hadn't even crossed her mind. The truth was, she was concerned about him. She was worried he would turn on her, or leave her at a moment's notice. The truth was, she was relying on him, and she didn't think she could bear it if she was left on her own again. Ellen and Ash were the only people besides the Winchesters that she could call family, and now that they had been taken away from her she felt truly worthless. She had only ever tried to make her way in the business, becoming a hunter herself, even if it was against her mother's will, and now she felt like she had failed. Her silence was her own, private, plea for help. And the truth was, no matter how much she cried out, nobody was listening.

Cas remained slumped, defeated in his chair; his feeble attempts to break the restraints were useless without his strength.

"Castiel. The _mighty _angel. Well I must admit I didn't expect to break you so easily." Alastair taunted, causing jeers from the audience, but Dean didn't even have the energy to even clench his fists. He just felt so, so drained. He desperately wanted to shout and scream at Alastair and his pathetic gang of demons, to yell abuse at them and to stick up for Cas, but he was tired. He had been tired since he and Sammy left Kansas, after a case suspiciously close to their old house. But Dean had been the one to say no, and avoid the house at all costs; it brought up too many painful memories for him to be able to start letting go of, and he knew it would hurt too much. Sam had tried to hide his disappointment, of course, but he knew it wouldn't have been good for either of them to go to such a meaningful place. Dean just tried to hold onto his brother's face, as if he would forget it. He wanted to tell him that he would find him, and they would be alright. Like always. But this time, Dean didn't seem to have the heart to kid himself, he didn't even know how he was going to get out of his own mess, never mind whatever situation his brother was in. He didn't want to give himself false hope, and secretly he worried wouldn't see Sammy again.

At this point, Dean had been thinking for several minutes, only vaguely aware of what was going on. Castiel had simply shrugged at Alastair's comment, knowing better than to try and anger someone who was tactically advantageous in every way, and remained still in his chair until he had stared the demon down. Alastair had stared challengingly back, before breaking eye contact and spitting at him shoes, causing some noise from the crowd. The whole thing made Castiel sick. Who were these people in the crowd anyway? Demons, probably. No sane human being would sit and watch this sick game that Alastair was playing, but the sheer amount of demons in the room did frighten him, he just didn't want to admit it to himself. The more demons around him, the weaker he became, it would seem.

Sam couldn't stand the silence between them, and he hadn't seen Lucifer since the incident with the rock face earlier. The whole atmosphere seemed unnerving to him, and he felt slightly surreal as he wandered through the woods with no noises but their own footsteps. The forest floor was covered in pine needles, twigs and leaves, embedded on dried mud, and Sam focused on the combination of them, unsure of how to approach a conversation with Jo, whom he had barely spoken with in weeks. Luckily for him, a question sprang to mind after a few minutes, lame as it was, it was still conversation.

"Hey, Jo? You said earlier that hunters had been missing for weeks… did they ever come back?" he cleared his throat, looking at her curiously when she didn't immediately answer. She was tugging her hair, twisting the ends, and not really paying attention, deep in thought. Sam sighed, she hadn't even heard him. "Jo." He tried again, raising his voice. Finally she looked up, startled, and Sam repeated his question, trying to make it sound sensitive.

"Oh. None of the people I was keeping check on re-appeared… why?" She blinked, banishing her previous thoughts from her head and focused on the conversation, taking what she could from it.

"Maybe they are here." Sam stated, expanding slightly after a brief pause, "if the same thing happened to them, then they are either here, or somewhere like this, I guess?" he suggested tentatively.

"Or dead." Jo added bluntly, followed by a curt nod from Sam, who hadn't wanted to be negative. Jo, on the other hand, had wanted to be realistic. Ellen had told her once that if you are going to face anything like an adult, you can't ignore the facts that don't seem appealing to you. God, she missed her advice.

"Right." Sam confirmed, before suggesting they sat down to have a break; Jo looked very pale, and the last thing he wanted to do was push her too much. Jo gladly agreed to sit down to discuss this, her legs felt wobbly and her vision was out of focus. Her arms were covered in goose bumps but she felt warm, and she had a strange tingling in her fingers.

"Have you seen anyone else? I mean, apart from me, since you woke up here?" Sam asked quietly. Jo shook her head, which was a terrible mistake as the ringing in it only got worse. God, she felt like a mess.

"No," she continued, once she got her head straight, "you're the first." She took out her hair, re-plaiting it therapeutically, winding the hair expertly into the bobble again. The little things helped her feel more human in this place. Sam studied her, watching how she dealt with the colossal amounts of stress that had been dumped on her shoulders for the past few days.

"Same here." He paused. "Maybe there are others…" but he trailed off; he knew the place had been barren and abandoned, he had seen one person and he'd walked miles from where he first woke. But then again, he had no idea how vast this place was, and they had been walking for hours and the scenery had barely changed.

"We can't look for them Sam. We have to find Ellen, and Dean, and Cas too. They are our priority, okay?" She ordered, refusing to delay their reunion any longer. She hadn't spent days foraging through a forest to look for people in the same position as her.

"Bobby is gone too…" Sam said, but he didn't have the will to explain to her how he had been involved at the time. Jo simply nodded, and gave him a reassuring smile before leaning her head against the tree trunk and closing her eyes.

After at least another hour of Alastair talking at them, and getting no response from either of them, he finally got to the bit that Dean actually wanted to know.

"Welcome, to Lucifer's Cage." Alastair laughed, "Of course, just a pet name for the studio, but it's fitting, right?"

Dean breathed quietly, feeling the warm rush of air over his bloody skin bringing him back to his senses; he had to get him and Cas out of there. Whatever the implications of Lucifer's Cage were, they were not going to be rainbows and unicorns. Unless the unicorns were bloodthirsty and murderous. But Dean would have to see a hell of a lot worse that that, for it to bother him. He had been through hell and back, literally, and the idea of murderous unicorns was not surprising anymore. In fact, the entire idea was deemed almost humorous in Dean's mind, and for the first time in a long time, he fought the urge to smile.

"These are the rules, boys.

1. You do what we tell you, or you _will _regret it – that's a promise.

2. If you want to see Sam again, or Bobby, then I would strongly advise that you follow rule number one.

And finally, number 3. For every dear mistake you make, a… shall we say sacrifice? Will immediately follow. So do what we say, and do it well. Got it?"

* * *

As usual, thanks!  
Appreciate any reviews, it really does motivate me to continue this story so if you have any free time to let me know what you think, please do!

Just a short addition to the story, I know, but there will be more soon.

UPDATE: Guys I am really sorry but I won't be updating this to September because I am going on holiday, and I am super busy at the minute. I will post a new chapter early september please dont hate me argh


	7. Old friends do come in use some days

**7. Old Friends Do Come In Use Some Days**

Sam woke up with his legs bent at an odd angle, and his neck hurt from sleeping upright against the tree, and he was freezing. He looked over and saw Jo was still asleep. She looked so young and innocent when she was asleep, he noticed. The creases in her forehead were invisible and her hands were in her lap instead of tangled up in her hair, and it was then when he realised he had to help her find Ellen, because she looked so helpless. Then Sam realised it was marginally creepy watching her sleep, and so he decided to wake her so that they could set off; the sun was just starting to come over the rocks and through the trees. He gently shook her shoulders, and was fairly taken aback when he was launched onto the floor with a knife at his throat; Jo sat on top of him with a vicious look on her face.

"Jesus Sam! Don't you know better than to wake up a girl with a knife!?" She yelled, pocketing the knife and brushing leaves off her trousers before offering Sam a hand up.

"I didn't think you'd react so…" he slowly stopped talking, noticing the face she was pulling, and grabbed his rucksack.

"General precautions, Sam." She explained, picking up the few possessions she had on her, which included: the letter from Lucifer, the knife, her necklace which she had wrapped around her wrist, and a mobile phone.

"You have a _phone?!_" Sam asked, gesturing towards the device sticking out of her pocket.  
"If it worked, I'd have been outta here a week ago. Do you seriously think I am that dumb?" she said, exasperated, handing the phone to him and allowing him to inspect it.

Sam took it curiously, flipping it open and feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him as his eyes only met a blank, shattered screen. "What happened to it?" He gently pressed the glass on the screen, allowing it to bend before accentuating the spidery cracks embedded in it. Jo shot him a fake glare, before explaining, "When I woke up some practical joker must have thought it funny to break it, but let me keep it so I can show the world how good quality it is…" She trailed off, the sarcasm faded as she went silent. Sam tried to question her sudden muteness, but she held up a hand to silence him.

A tiny snap came from their right, and they both whipped their heads round, but there was only the blank canvas of trees and forest scenery, nothing of immediate threat. They stayed, immobilised, for at least 3 minutes, barely daring to breathe, before Jo turned back to Sam, "I don't think we're alone, Sam."

"Aw come on Cas, it can't be much worse!" Dean wailed miserably, as he slumped in the corner of his cell. They'd been placed in 2 separate cells, but they were next to each other, so they could just about manage to have a conversation if the other listened intently through the walls. "My conclusions suggest there is no way for us to escape without one, or both, of us being led to our deaths at Alastair's hand." Castiel replied, to which Dean moaned at.  
"Great, thanks for the heart-warming statistics, angel of the freakin' lord. Real comforting!" He yelled back through the wall, his head resting on the cool stone. "You know, I always thought angels were supposed to be the light-in-the-darkness,"-"Dean-" "The hope in a dark place," "Dean-" "The light in th- wait did I already say that?"

"Dean!" Cas insisted, his voice raised.

"_Jesus_- what is it?"

"There's someone at your cell door."

Dean paused, evaluating Castiel's statement. In all the talking he hadn't registered an unfamiliar shadow at the door; he'd almost absorbed every detail of the demon-guard's shadow, and this figure was strikingly different to before. However Cas knew he was outside _his_ door and not Castiel's, he didn't know. The shadow was slightly broader, rather than the sickeningly thin distorted shape that hovered around the door earlier. He was significantly shorter, and seemed to be wearing a baseball cap…

Before he had time to think, Bobby's name had escaped his mouth, and he heard a surprised grunt from behind the wall to his left. The shadow seemed tensed, almost tentatively edging towards the secured door.

"Did someone call for me?" The familiar, gruff voice barked through the gap in the door. Dean's stomach pooled with relief, he felt like he was in danger of drowning in it; apart from Cas (who shouldn't really count) he hadn't heard another human speak in what seemed like years. Bobby had always been that authoritive, reliable father-like figure for him, who seemed to get him out of every difficult situation he'd been in, (with the exception of Sammy, of course). God, he didn't realise how much he'd missed the old man's irritated bark – he still managed to surprise himself.

To Sam's disbelief, he was still shaken from the almost-encounter earlier, and he was over cautious; moving at a dreadfully slow pace and twitching at any sound loud enough to hear. He felt as though his hunter's skills had just washed away with the water from the lake, and he hated himself for being so weak in such a crucial time. The truth was, he felt useless, and he still needed to find Dean – who knows what happened to him? Even though he was the younger sibling, Sam felt as though he held responsibility over Dean's safety, and was confident Dean probably felt the same about him. He knew that Dean was more of someone to hold in all his feelings until he couldn't keep them in any longer, and then he'd break. But if Sam thought about it, he knew he was the same really. He just wanted to know that everyone was alright, he could almost feel the grief in his mind teeming with anticipation, and he wasn't sure if he could take it once it started to flood his head. Really, how much more could he take? He truly thought God hated him, if he was real. He hadn't made an appearance yet, but he couldn't help but stay believing in something; something to just hold onto for a little longer. If angels existed, why not God? Castiel certainly put faith in someone.

"Hey- Sam? Earth calling?" Jo was grabbing his arm, shaking it sharply, enough to snap him out of his thoughts momentarily.  
"Sorry… what is it?" His eyes locked on hers, he could see a flicker of concern on her face, before she continued slowly, unsure of whether to ask if he was alright.

"I said I heard a shot. From over there." She nodded to their left, where there was a dip in the ground, covering a huge distance.

"A shot? Are you sure?"

"Positive."  
"Okay… d'you think we should check it out? Or steer clear?" Sam studied her reaction, but she seemed to be set on investigating. Besides, her point made sense; it's the only sign they'd been given since they had gotten here. It was worth the risk; they'd listed the pros and cons. On one hand, they risked death, but Sam pointed out they risked death whatever they did - they were starving anyway. They could get knowledge of this place if they explored more, and they may find an ally. Or enemy. They didn't linger on that point for too long surprisingly.

"Bobby is that seriously you, dude?" Dean called through the door, his voice wavered slightly.

"Of course it's me, idjit. Your knight in shining armour, it's a long story. Stand away from the door." Dean smirked, and pressed his body against the wall furthest away from the door. He saw a small spark, and smoke billowed from the lock after a small bang. Ridiculous as it looked, Bobby emerged in the door which swung free on its hinges, smoke swirling at his feet and floating above his baseball cap. Dean almost made a comment about something about Bobby being a model, but he couldn't quite get it out. He strode over to the man and embraced him, inhaling his familiar scent, and just enjoying the human contact; he had to admit he missed people who weren't psychopathic demons. He relaxed in Bobby's arms, but he felt a painful twinge in his chest, and his vision blurred hugely.  
"Come o-woah. Dean? Hey- what is it?" Bobby pulled away, anxiously looking at him; his hands still had a strong grip on his shoulders, which was one of the only things keeping him upright.

"What's happening? Dean? Bobby?" Castiel's voice buzzed through the walls, Bobby could barely hear him over the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. He didn't answer, which only provoked more questions from the other side of the wall. Dean drooped on his shoulders, unconscious, Bobby panicked. They didn't have long before someone realised they were escaping. Bobby scooped Dean up with great difficulty, storming out of the cell door, but it was difficult with Dean being a lot heavier and taller than Bobby himself. He dashed to Castiel's cell, swiftly opening the door and allowing Cas to carry Dean as they jogged out down the corridor – Bobby appeared to know where he was going.

Jo and Sam had been walking in silence for about 2 hours, when they reached the place where Jo claimed to have heard the first shot go off. They cautiously walked the perimeter, looking for anything suspicious, but nothing caught their eye.  
"C'mon. We can't see anything from up here," Jo whispered, leading the way down the slanted ground to the centre, it would take them a couple of minutes, tops. Sam followed her down, still having a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, but voicing that now would be unwise – they had spent the morning walking here, it would be a waste to stop now…

They got to the middle of the crater-like area, to find a tiny indent in the ground. Beside the indent, were 2 guns and 2 knives, laid out in 2 cross shapes. Sam's brain whirred, thoughts swam around in his head telling him it was a trap, it was a trap, but there was nothing they could have done to prevent the massive crowd of demons that came tumbling over the hill from all directions.

Bobby led them to a small room, and hurriedly grabbed a table and shoved it against the door, temporarily jamming it. He gestured hurriedly for Cas to put Dean on the other table, his hands shook terribly. Dean lay, unmoving, on the table. His leg was crooked, hanging off the edge limply, and he wasn't breathing.

"Dean!" Cas called anxiously, shaking his shoulders, but there was nothing. "Come on you stubborn bastard, wake up!" Bobby growled, slapping his face as a feeble attempt to get a response. There was a small sink in the corner, which they used to sprinkle water on his face, but he was completely still. Bobby started performing CPR but after a minute or so, they both knew it was hopeless. They sat down, exhausted, watching Dean helplessly. Bobby put his head in his hands and Castiel stared blankly in front of him. They'd done everything they could, Bobby didn't understand what had happened, they had been fine… he'd done the difficult bit. He'd gotten them out of the cells, but now it seemed for nothing. A spluttering noise came from the table. Instantly they were on their feet, rushing over to Dean, who was shaking and struggling to breathe. Gasping, he lurched off the table, collapsing awkwardly on the floor before Cas or Bobby could get to him. He coughed, and eventually stopped; lying sprawled on the floor panting for air.

* * *

**Wow guys it's been a while. I know it isn't terribly long, as per usual, but I have been so busy recently you would not believe! Thanks for reading! I can't predict how long it's going to be until the next chapter I'm afraid, I have just got into college and so there's an awfully massive workload at the minute, there's not a lot of time for me to do a bit of fanfiction (which I put high in my priorities fyi) :D  
Thanks again! Please leave me a review on how you found it, I'm open to any suggestions or just any comments at all really, it helps me find the time to keep writing for you guys, because I know you're enjoying it :) **

**Hope you're enjoying it all so far, because I am loving writing it! **


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